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K-9 struggling with injuries suffered from line of duty

A Sutter County sheriff's K-9 patrol dog is struggling with injuries suffered when he helped capture a suspect charged with attempted murder for firing shots at Yuba City police and Yuba-Sutter SWAT members.

Dale B. Crittenden, 59, was booked into Sutter County Jail on Saturday after police said he led officers from multiple agencies on a chase while towing a stolen vehicle.

He allegedly rammed a Yuba City police patrol vehicle, then led officers to Garden Highway and Messick Road, where he drove through an irrigation ditch into a cultivated field, disabling the vehicle.

Yuba City police said in a press release that Crittenden then took off on foot and fired shots at officers, who returned fire. No one was struck.

Officers called for back-up, and the Yuba and Sutter county sheriff's departments, Marysville police, California Highway Patrol officers and SWAT members arrived.

Among those to reply to the call was Iko, a 2 1â„2 year old Belgian Malinois. Iko has been on patrol with Sutter County sheriff's Deputy Steve Traynor for almost a year in service to Live Oak.

During a search for the suspect, Crittenden fired additional shots at SWAT members, police said. Iko located and engaged the suspect, who was hiding in bushes, sheriff's Lt. Dan Buttler said. The dog got hold of the suspect's shoe and pulled it off.

"Then he went back in and was pulling the guy out of the bushes. That's when the guy shot him, or thought he shot him," Buttler said.

The dog did not retreat, and instead re-engaged the suspect and helped bring him into custody.

Officers soon learned that while Iko had avoided a bullet to the head, he was seriously injured and may have been blinded in one eye.

"His whole face was tattooed with gunpowder burns," Butter said.

On Wednesday, Iko met with an optometrist after a veterinarian theorized Iko may have foreign matter embedded in his eye.

Crittenden is charged with willful harm to a K-9, in addition to charges of assault, evading an officer, possession of a stolen vehicle and attempted murder. His bail is set at $300,000.